Kate Burr '25
Kate Burr ’25 found her place at Illinois College through two passions: science and teaching. A double major in biology and education, Kate now heads to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to earn her master’s in biology, with dreams of teaching at the collegiate level.
“Student teaching really opened my eyes,” Burr says. “And the support I got here at IC helped me realize I could take my passion for biology even further.”
Burr’s journey was filled with hands-on experiences that deepened her learning and broadened her world. She traveled on BreakAway trips to Hawaii and Germany and studied abroad in Ecuador through a Fulbright-supported program. These experiences taught her independence and confidence. “Freshman year, I wasn’t sure I could do things on my own,” she reflects. “Now, I’ll go anywhere.”
She also thrived in IC’s close-knit academic environment. In her classes, she tackled the challenge of being the only biology-education double major in her year. The education department, especially professors Jaime Klein, Josiah Kunz, and Suzanne Kell, helped guide her through it.
“IC is a place where people actually care,” she says. “My professors became mentors. They were always there to support me even when the path wasn’t clear.”
Now, with a graduate degree ahead and a future in higher education, Burr is grateful for the foundation IC gave her. “Illinois College gave me the tools to grow. I know who I am and where I’m headed.”